Cheese Texture

Crumbly. Firm. Silky. Soft. These are just a few of the mouth-watering descriptions we use to describe the texture or feel, of our favourite cheeses. And texture, is in fact, one of the most important ways cheeses are marketed and classified.
Depending on how they were made, cheeses may be supple, grainy, creamy, or hard. In general, texture is largely dependent on moisture content and age. Softer cheeses are higher in moisture content, while hard ones may be subjected to heat and longer storage periods to make them drier. Let’s take a look at how various cheese textures are created and classified.

Fresh vs. Ripened
Firstly, cheeses can be broken down into two very broad types: fresh and ripened. Fresh (unripened) cheeses are ready to be eaten soon after the whey is drained from the curds. They may be pressed into different shapes, but they are almost all delicate in flavour and quite soft, milky or spreadable in texture. The most popular fresh cheeses are Ricotta, Mascarpone, Cottage Cheese and Cream Cheese.
With ripened or aged cheeses, the curds are further drained by a variety of methods including cooking, soaking or bacteria inoculation. After curing, ripened cheeses are stored according to various “recipes” depending on the cheese type being produced. By using various temperature and humidity controlled environments, cheese makers can achieve a variety of characters and textures.

Hard: Cooked, pressed, and typically aged for at least two years, these cheeses are famously firm and dry. Well-known varieties include Parmesan, Asiago, and Pecorino.

Semi-Firm: These cheeses are cooked and pressed, but not aged as long as the cheeses in the hard category. They are generally firm, but not crumbly. Popular semi-firm cheeses include Cheddar, Swiss, and Edam.

Semi-Soft: Soft, yet sliceable, these cheeses are pressed and may be cooked or uncooked. Cheeses in the semi-soft category include Tilsit, Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

Soft-Ripened: These surface-ripened cheeses are neither cooked nor pressed. Instead they are subjected to various bacteria processes to ripen them from the outside in. Soft-ripened cheeses develop white or golden-coloured rinds and they range from semi-soft to quite creamy. Favoured varieties include Brie, Camembert, and Pont L’Évêque.